Under New Moons, We Stand Strong

2016

UNDER NEW MOONS WE STAND STRONG is a large-scale model of a CCTV camera made from recycled cardboard, with accompanying bird spikes.

Inspired by the viral image of the snowy owl, which was captured by a CCTV traffic camera positioned at the intersection of Autoroute 40 and Boulevard des Sources, in the West Island of Montreal, Quebec. Quebec’s then Transport Minister Robert Poëti tweeted the image on the January 7th 2016, turning the owl into an “Internet star”.

Drawing on the symbolism of the owl and its associations with wisdom, death and seeing beyond the illusion, the architectures of the cameras spikes, science fiction scenography and concepts of solidarity and symbolism within “societies of control“ (Burroughs, 1978; Deleuze, 1995, 1990); the installation includes an original copy of CCTV image and the one-line incantation UNDER NEW MOONS, WE STAND STRONG.

Accompanying the gallery work is a public procession and tour of local CCTV sites, where the history of CCTV roll out in urban spaces, is provided. During the procession the public hold small paper models of CCTV cameras, which at the end of the procession are ceremonial burnt.